New glass and a new polishing process make for a premium finish
Apple’s iPhone 15 was a significant departure from the iPhone 14 that came before it. Updated features such as a new 48MP camera and USB-C support aside, the phone features a new method of interaction and updated display, as well as a whole new back glass design for a cool new look (and feel).
Hello, Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island, introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro, makes its way to the iPhone 15 series, including the iPhone 15 Pro models. The Island moves the Face ID and front camera array further down the display, disconnecting it from the top bezel and thus creating an island of sorts.
By itself this isn’t particularly interesting, especially given the variety of notchless Android phones that we’ve seen.Apple, however, figured out how to make the Dynamic Island both fun and useful by changing how notifications interact with that Island.
The new notification system built for the island now fluidly expands or contracts depending on what you’re doing. You could see a food delivery timer, for example, or even updated gate info when attempting to catch a flight. These notifications are also interactive, allowing you to say, start and stop a recording or pause and resume a timer. Similar interactions were created for media as well.
New display
Another change was the introduction of thinner bezels around the display. The display size remained about the same at 6.1-inches, but the larger bezels look nicer.
The change isn’t immediately obvious at first glance, but put the iPhone 14 and 15 side-by-side and you’ll immediately notice the slimmer bezels.
Next, Apple updated the display to one that’s much brighter. Brightness values have gone up from 800 nits sustained to 1000 nits, and the peak brightness in daylight has gone from about 1200 nits on the 14 to a whopping 2000 nits. The display also has support for Dolby Vision.
While in use, the improvements to the display are readily apparent to anyone and make the phone look really good, especially in daylight.
Curved edges and new glass
The new contoured edges of the aluminium frame look amazing in person. They give the phone an even more seamless, edge-to-edge look. The updated rear glass panel, which uses a new process to add colour to it looks stunning. We’re treated not just to new colours, but a new finish as well thanks to a new nano-crystal polishing process.
The new colours now include Black, which is greyer than the midnight option on the 14, a mild Blue that’s almost silver, green, a mild yellow, and pink.
These changes, among others, are subtle but help the iPhone feel very different when not using a case. They add to the premium, uniquely Apple aesthetic that nobody else has thus far succeeded in replicating.